Recent Conditions
Published November 23, 2010

New Mexico Reservoir Levels

 (through 10/31/10)
Data Source(s): USDA-NRCS, National Water and Climate Center

Total reservoir storage in New Mexico decreased by only 36,300 acre-feet in October (Figure 7). Storage in the Navajo reservoir—New Mexico’s second largest reservoir—decreased by about 19,500 acre-feet. The Santa Rosa Reservoir declined by about 20 percent during October.

In water-related news, the New Mexico state engineer stated that federal funding is needed for the development of the Ute Pipeline, one of the most critical rural drinking water projects in the U.S. (www.ptonline.com, November 4). The pipeline will provide water from Ute Reservoir to communities where groundwater depletion in the Ogallala Aquifer threatens water supplies. The proposed cost for the pipeline is $500 million and will serve key agricultural communities in eastern New Mexico, including Clovis and Portales, which are threatened by groundwater declines in the aquifer.

New Mexico Reservoir Levels
Notes:

The map gives a representation of current storage levels for reservoirs in New Mexico. Reservoir locations are numbered within the blue circles on the map, corresponding to the reservoirs listed in the table. The cup next to each reservoir shows the current storage level (blue fill) as a percent of total capacity. Note that while the size of each cup varies with the size of the reservoir, these are representational and not to scale. Each cup also represents last year’s storage level (dotted line) and the 1971–2000 reservoir average (red line).

The table details more exactly the current capacity level (listed as a percent of maximum storage). Current and maximum storage levels are given in thousands of acre-feet for each reservoir. One acre-foot is the volume of water sufficient to cover an acre of land to a depth of 1 foot (approximately 325,851 gallons). On average, 1 acre-foot of water is enough to meet the demands of 4 people for a year. The last column of the table list an increase or decrease in storage since last month. A line indicates no change.

These data are based on reservoir reports updated monthly by the National Water and Climate Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). For additional information, contact Wayne Sleep, wayne.sleep@nm.usda.gov.

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